Announced Actions for August 19, 1997

For Your Information

August 19, 1997

Petitions to reopen and modify or set aside orders: The FTC has received a petition from the following entity seeking changes in, or termination of, an FTC order. The FTC is seeking public comments on the newly-received petition for 30 days, until Sept. 17.

Cooper Industries, Inc., of Houston, Texas, has petitioned the FTC to reopen and vacate a 1993 consent order, which requires Cooper to license and divest low-voltage industrial fuse technolgoy that Cooper gained in its acquisition of Brush Fuses, Inc. When Cooper failed to find a licensee and buyer, the FTC appointed a trustee to do so. Cooper now maintains that both it and the trustee have made every effort and have been unable to find a licensee and buyer, and is petitioning to be relieved of those obligations, as well as its prior approval and prior notice obligations under the order. (See Feb. 13, 1996 and June 25, 1993 news releases for more information about the 1993 consent order; Docket No. C-3469.) Staff contact is Daniel Ducore, 202-326-2526.

Commission action to reopen and modify FTC orders:

The Commission has reopened and modified a February 1995 order with Sulzer Limited, a Swiss firm, so that the final order conforms with the consent agreement that the Commission had announced for public comment. Paragraph IV.A. of the order, as modified, prohibits Sulzer for 10 years from taking any action to prevent Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited from selling Sumitomo Polyester to any Commission-approved acquirer of the Amdry 2010 information rather than to any person. (See Sept. 29, 1994 news release for more details regarding the 1995 order; Docket No. C-3559; Commission vote to reopen and modify the order was 4-0.) Staff contact is Daniel Ducore, 202-326-2526.

Copies of the documents referenced above are available from the FTC's web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Public Reference Branch, Room 130, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 202-326-2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710.